Ludo Sum Ignis
by SarissaDiablo
Summary: -Play With Fire- In the year preceding the Kyuubi attack, Uchiha Madara decided to play with his prey. And unwittingly gave them they key to his destruction. Namikaze Minato. -Humor, Dark, Angst, Tragedy, Family
1. July 31st

**A/N: Alright, this one is kinda...odd. The whole premise of this story came about when I wondered if Madara could control more then just the Kyuubi. Thus, him doing...experiments. Each chapter is less then 2,000 words, and that is intentional. It was a test of sorts for myself as a writer. And as a side note, all I have to say about Madara is holy shit! That man has so many different plots and scenarios going on that it boggled my mind as I was doing research.  
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**This entire story takes place the year that Naruto is born. I sincerely hope you enjoy it as much as I did writing it. *bows*  
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><p><strong>July 31st<strong>

Uchiha Madara watched the unconscious teen at his feet impassively. She was a tool for the destruction and demoralization of Konoha, nothing more. An experiment, essentially.

_She will be my test to see if I can control more than just the Kyuubi. Also, I can finally enact my revenge on the peace loving Uchiha's that have taken the place of my once proud clan._

Underneath his mask, scarred lips twisted into a smirk. Beneath him – as was fitting – was Konohagakure, the Village he had sworn to destroy so long ago. A little over 35 years ago he had tracked down the then Jinchuuriki of the Kyuubi, but when she had been at her weakest, he had been unable to act. His plan at the time for her had failed, and he hadn't wanted to reveal himself just yet.

He had more important things he had needed to worry about.

Then just recently, he heard the rumors of the current Jinchuuriki being pregnant. Confirming it, he knew that this was his chance. The seal was weakest when women housing a Bijuu were weakest – why he personally thought a woman should never be a Jinchuuriki – during, and the moments after childbirth. So, his plans were set.

He couldn't resist having a little fun, however. Uzumaki Kushina wasn't due to give birth until October after all.

That was why the teen at his feet – Yugito Nii and the Jinchuuriki for the Nibi – was going to be so much fun.

She, well, the Bijuu inside of her would wreak havoc and demoralize the citizens and shinobi of the Village, and if he had any luck, the cat would kill Minato. Even so, Uzumaki was a known container, and the death of her husband at the hands of a Bijuu would sow distrust and fear. That was the best case scenario – the Hokage would die, the Uchiha's wiped out, and Konoha's reputation would be in shreds.

Worst case scenario they sealed the Nibi, or destroyed it entirely before it could do much damage. The Bijuu with the higher tails – 5 and up – couldn't be destroyed and _had_ to be sealed. However, the smaller ones could indeed be killed, albeit only by someone with a high enough chakra reserve. That didn't matter much though. Upon the attack of the Kyuubi, he could easily slip in and steal the child back.

Namikaze Minato was one of those men that could destroy. As well as Hatake Kakashi and possibly Sarutobi Hiruzen. He knew that Hatake was out of the Village at this current time, as well as Sarutobi. The only one he had to worry about was Namikaze, since none of the weak, disgraceful, so-called _Uchiha's_ had the eyes to control the Nibi.

With a smirk of grisly anticipation set in place, he knelt down next to the girl, and without preamble, stabbed her through the heart.

She jerked as the shimmering blue cloak of the Nibi surrounded her and tried to heal its host, but he didn't allow it. Twitching the kunai to and fro, he sliced her heart to ribbons, watching gleefully as she took a shuddering breath and was still.

He was prepared for the outpouring of the chakra, and within seconds the Nibi had formed in all its glory, howling at the sky. All it took was for one look at him, and he caught it in a powerful genjutsu, hearing the mental 'snap' that signified it was his to command. The mismatched eyes swirled with the Sharingan for only a moment before reverting back to green and blue. He smiled grimly and mentally gave the beast a map of the compound at the northern end of the Village.

"Go and destroy _that_ and any people you see."

His orders were short and sweet, and he watched in glee as it bounded down the faces of the previous Hokage's – _weaklings, every one of them_ – and landed smack in the middle of the Uchiha district.

_Ah, so beautiful_, he thought as flames began to lick the buildings, alarms blaring through the Village as people started to fight back. The Nibi was glorious in its destructive abilities, shooting out balls of fire from its mouth while shaking off jutsu after jutsu like a duck shaking off water.

A flash of yellow below signaled the arrival of Minato, and he watched with a critical eye as they began to battle. Unfortunately, they were too far away for him to see any hand seals that he could copy, or the specifics of the clash. He decided to take this time while they fought to burn the dead body in front of him, turning it to ash and watching it float away on the breeze. He did like doing that; nothing was left of the girl.

When he looked back down, he cursed. The Nibi was nowhere in sight, and he knew it was time to leave. Activating his space-time jutsu, he made a note to himself to put feelers out to see if it was destroyed, or sealed. As he left Konoha with no trace, he wasn't entirely sure which one he wanted. Destroyed meant that Konoha wouldn't have a Jinchuuriki of the Nibi. However, sealed meant that he wouldn't have to change his plans for the Juubi.

As he exited the jutsu on the outskirts of Konoha, he hummed quietly to himself and started walking towards Amegakure. It was time to put the fate of the Nibi from his mind; he had another pawn he needed to see.

**X-x-X-x-X-x-X-x-X-x-X**

Namikaze Minato panted as he kneeled on the ground, one hand bracing him and the other holding the screaming infant protectively. The buildings burned around him, shinobi and medics yelling and running all over the place as they put the fires out and helped the wounded. Just from what he saw as he entered battle with the Nibi, he would be surprised if half the Clan survived.

Someone was calling his name, and for the life of him, he couldn't look up to see who it was. The attack _had_ to happen today of all days. He was exhausted from working on his Rasengan, trying to complete it. He barely had enough chakra left now to even keep him awake, let alone try to help those around him.

If only it hadn't been today. The demonic chakra spike had happened in their own backyard, just suddenly _there_. No warning, no nothing. Luckily, the people around him were assuming it was just a monster, and not a Bijuu. That he was holding Sasuke to protect him, not because -

When hands entered his vision and took the crying infant away from him, he forced his attention on what was going on. Taking a deep breath he looked up and saw Itachi.

"Itachi, status?" he croaked, staggering to his feet. The boy looked like he was ready to reach out a hand, but was stopped with the need to calm down his younger brother.

"128 confirmed dead, and rising. 23 critically injured, and 17 mildly injured so far. Every building and home in the compound is on fire or gone. From what I saw, there are only 5 Uchiha that escaped any sort of injury, 3 with the Sharingan."

Minato closed his eyes, cursing mentally. From the numbers Itachi had given him, he could safely assume that the majority of the Clan was dead. "In one night…"

"Hokage-sama?"

Minato opened his eyes and shook his head. "Nothing Itachi. Your parents?"

"Dead." Minato didn't miss the slight hesitation before the word, or the flash of sorrow in the Sharingan bright eyes. He nodded in resignation, and took a deep breath. He took off his flame lined jacket and threw it over Itachi's shoulders. Smiling as kindly as he could in the situation and at the surprise on the boys face, he put both hands on the small shoulders.

"Go to my house, and my wife will let you in with my coat. We have food for you both, and a place for you to sleep tonight." He dropped a hand, tracing the small cheek with the back of his fingers, thinking about the seal between the baby's shoulder blades that was containing the Nibi. "It's the least I can do for the two of you."

Itachi opened his mouth, and then closed it as he looked away. "Hokage-sama…why did a Bijuu attack? And why seal it in my brother, instead of destroying it?"

Minato's face firmed though inside he flinched at the veiled accusation. "I'm sorry Itachi. I have no clue right now, but I can promise you I will find out. For the second answer, I had mild chakra exhaustion from working on a jutsu all day." He looked Itachi in the eye, and saw the subtle shift that told him his Hokage mode was being recognized. "Itachi, I'm asking this as your Hokage. If anyone asks, the monster was destroyed. It cannot get out what happened. Understood?"

Itachi studied him for a moment, before nodding; a short jerk. He sighed mentally in relief. "Please, you need to go get you and Sasuke food. Kushina will be more than happy to feed you."

Itachi nodded shortly, and disappeared. Taking a deep breath and letting it out slowly, he looked around resolutely. He would continue to spread the belief that it was a monster, and that he had destroyed it.

It was going to be a long, messy night, and he had a lot he needed to do.

Sometimes being Hokage _sucked_.


	2. August 10th

**August 10th**

Minato rubbed his forehead tiredly as he doggedly completed his paperwork. To his right, Kushina happily played with a settled Sasuke, and he could vaguely feel Itachi sitting on the roof of the tower. It had either been sending them both to an orphanage, or taking the two boys in. Guess which he did.

Damn his conscious.

He lifted the last sheet, and grimaced as he read through it. 273 confirmed dead, 18 still in the hospital, and only 3 people still whole enough to use the Sharingan. Two of them were Itachi and Sasuke, though the latter was still a baby. With the Nibi sealed inside of him, it was guaranteed that he would have the Sharingan when he was older. The Uchiha district was completely unlivable now, and the form was a request to tear down what remained of the buildings. What remained of the Clan was going to be integrated into the Village proper, especially since most of those in the hospital were civilians, without the Sharingan anyway.

He signed it and put it with the rest of the forms to go out, leaning back in his chair with a sigh. They had gotten very lucky, with the attack. No one knew that it had been a Bijuu, and fueling those rumors had been easy. The only ones who knew were directly around him.

His eyes shot open when something _wriggly_ was plopped in his lap, and he looked down into the giggling face of one Uchiha Sasuke. He glared at his wife in mock anger as she covered her mouth with a hand and laughed, and it only got worse when Sasuke grabbed one of his bangs, tugging on it hard enough to make him squeak.

Scowling and blushing in embarrassment, he adjusted the baby into a more secure position. "I'm happy I amuse _someone_," he grumbled.

Kushina just laughed and walked over, a hand on her distended belly, and kissed his cheek. "You amuse me all the time dear."

Itachi scrambled in through the window then, and pointed back out. "There's something red and white coming this way," he said warningly.

Minato frowned and opened his mouth, but the warned red and white blur flew through the window, and was shown to be a broadly grinning Jiraiya. He returned the grin, always happy to see his sensei, but before he could say anything Jiraiya was petrified as kunai littered the wall surrounding him.

"You ass! You should know better than to scare a pregnant woman! Why I should cut off your balls and feed them to you for-! Oh!" Kushina's tirade was cut off with a surprised look as she grabbed her belly with both hands.

Happiness immediately turned to concern. "Kushina? Is everything- Meep!"

His hand was grabbed and pressed to the distended skin. "He kicked! Minato, he _kicked_!"

Awe filled him as he indeed felt the tiny kick, right against his palm. Another hand was placed next to his, and he glanced up at the uncomfortable face of Itachi. He smirked as it changed to one of awe and wonder, and the other hand slowly crept up to join the others.

"Sugoi…" Itachi blushed slightly at the word as Minato and Kushina chuckled. As though realizing the attention he was getting Naruto kept moving around.

"This is going to be your new baby brother Itachi," Kushina said with a bright grin, making both of them look at her in surprise.

"Kushina," he said warningly, but wilted again when she glared at him.

"Don't give me that tone Namikaze Minato. It's going to happen that way. You know it, I know it, so don't argue."

"Hai…" His voice was faint and meek, but that didn't stop him from glaring when Jiraiya laughed.

"Seeing you meek from a glare is always- Meep!" He cowered as Kushina glared at him and fingered a kunai, making Minato smirk at the justice of it.

"Is…is that really going to happen?" Minato sighed then smiled gently at Itachi's words, reaching up and ruffling the boys black hair.

"Hai Itachi." His smile turned teasing. "Do you really want to go against Kushina?" The black eyes went wide, and he rapidly shook his head as Minato smirked. "Yea, me neither."

"Well! Now that it's settled, let's go get some ramen!"

Minato face palmed as his wife dragged a slightly panicked looking Itachi through the door, and followed after with Sasuke in his arms. Jiraiya fell in step next to him.

"Have you heard anything about the Nibi?" he asked quietly, adjusting the sleepy baby so he rested on his shoulder.

"Kumo is in an uproar right now. I have a feeling that the Nibi was theirs, and whoever did this, stole the Jinchuuriki and extracted the Bijuu."

Minato frowned, thoughts whirling as he tried to think of someone that had a big enough grudge against Konoha to go to such lengths. And who was strong enough to pull it off. "Do you think Iwa?"

"No. That was the first place I checked. Only their Kage would have the ability to pull something like that off."

"So most likely a missing-nin. But who…"

"I don't know, but I have a few theories about what happened. Either this person controlled the Bijuu and made it attack Konoha – which is the theory I'm going with, since it specifically went after the Uchiha – got really lucky when it was released and is now far gone, or the Nibi killed them before attacking."

Minato hummed quietly as Sasuke stirred restlessly, the baby calming under his touch. "So someone kidnapped the Jinchuuriki, released the Bijuu, took control of it, and set it loose on just the Uchiha. That's what you believe?"

Jiraiya nodded, and Minato frowned again, absently watching the way Kushina's hair gleamed like a ruby in the dying light. "Maybe…"

His sensei looked at him sharply. "Maybe what?"

But he shook his head. "Nothing. Let me do more research…"

They were at Ichiraku's anyway, and his stomach was roaring at him.

What he was thinking would be impossible anyway.

…right?

**X-x-X-x-X-x-X-x-X-x-X**

Madara shivered as he exited his space-time jutsu, looking critically around his rooms in Kiri. As far as he could tell, nothing had been moved or even touched since the last time he was here. With a grin he swiftly changed his clothing into what the people here were used to seeing him wear. The unfortunate part about being the power behind the throne was in this case, he was technically the advisor for the current Mizukage, Yagura. When the leader was only 13 years old, advisors were a necessary evil. Luckily, Madara had gotten into a perfect position to cast the boy under a strong Genjutsu, effectively beginning his plan to rip Kiri apart from the inside out. It also had the added benefit of creating ruthless pawns that he could add to his army.

It had already started.

He swept out the door, pulling the black cloak closer around him as he reset the security seals, and made his way to the Kage building. Stepping out from the apartment building, he sneered at the ever present mist, hating this country for that. Despite his feeling towards Konoha, he would always want warm sun and trees.

As he walked, he paid close attention to those around him. A shinobi who he knew had a Kekkei Genkai was watched fearfully and with hatred, which was perfect. The majority of the Uchiha clan was gone, and Kiri had a number of clans with Kekkei Genkai that could make a good fight against him. Madara had started a few skirmishes between clans elsewhere in Water, and made sure that they got a lot of public attention. It wouldn't be long now before it took on a life of its own and started a civil war.

It was perfect.

Being the true Mizukage also had its other perks. It meant that he had a front line view to see all the promising shinobi to he could later recruit. Such as Hoshigaki Kisame. He was very promising, if the things his squad leader said was to be believed.

His thoughts had lasted him until he reached the Kage building, and he smiled grimly under his plain black mask. He entered the building with a nod to the guards stationed at the door, and made his way swiftly to the audience chamber. As soon as he stepped through the door, he was hit with a flare of killing intent and piercing pink eyes. They lit up as soon as they saw him, and Yagura, the Jinchuuriki of the Sanbi and Yondaime Mizukage, ran to him with a childish smile.

"Tobi! You've been gone to long!"

Madara smirked and ruffled the boy's hair. Yes, his plans here were perfect.


	3. September 3rd

**September 3rd**

_I hate this fucking rain_! The thought rang through Madara's head as he leapt onto the water, running easily on the surface of the surrounding lake of Amegakure. He knew that Yahiko-Nagato-Pein was already aware of his presence, but he blocked his chakra from the rest of the shinobi. Which was surprisingly hard, even for him. These people had been the meat in the sandwich of war for the past two times, and it had hardened them.

He appeared in the darkened room at the top of Pein's tower and stood in the shadows. He stared out over the Village, arms crossed as he waited for the man to join him. Corpse. Zombie. Whichever.

He had deep respect for the faint aura of power that hung around the city – Nagato's power. The power of the Rinnegan. He could admire the strength and intelligence it took to accomplish the control and security of a place like Amegakure. It was why he had taken an interest in the group in the first place.

The opening of the door admitted Pein, but all was silent except for the constant presence of rain. They stood that way for long minutes, both looking out and quietly thinking.

"The Nibi has gone missing."

Madara looked over at the sudden voice, tilting his head to the side slightly. "Has it really?"

"What did you do with it?" Pein never once looked away from the scenery, and his voice stayed calm. It infuriated Madara, but he couldn't afford to destroy the man. He didn't quite know if he could or not, actually.

"Me? Why would you think that I had anything to do with it?"

Pein finally glanced over, and Madara scowled behind his mask at the knowing, piercing gaze. "As loathe as I am to admit it, you are the only one that can control a Bijuu. A large cat, looking to be covered in blue flame, attacked Konoha a month prior. It is being said that it was only a monster. I believed the plans were…different."

Madara didn't look away. "If it was the Nibi, then they would have had two options. Sealing it, or destroying it. If it was sealed, then the unification of the Juubi will continue unhindered. Also, a Bijuu can't technically be destroyed. Only its physical body is destroyed, scattering it's chakra to the wind. They come back together however, over the course of a decade or so."

Pein had easily put everything together. "And you torment Konoha in the process. Our source has said that Uzumaki is due to give birth in October. I will have the statues ready. I do not want to see you before that."

He then turned and walked out, leaving a privately seething Madara. Let the brat think he had the upper hand, because as _loathe_ as Madara was to admit it, Pein was the only one that could _seal_ the Bijuu in order to unite them.

He snorted and, disregarding the amount of chakra it took him, he used his space-time jutsu to teleport far into Ame, easily crossing the border into Kusa. He could take his time crossing the country to formulate his plan for the Takigakure Jinchuuriki.

He was leaning towards releasing it on Taki, since they had always hated the girl, Fu. He might be able to get her to release it herself if he promised revenge.

Or he could do like he did with the Nibi and have it attack Konoha directly.

Meh, he would figure it out as he went.

**X-x-X-x-X-x-X-x-X-x-X**

Minato watched the fidgeting diplomat standing in front of his desk with calm, cold eyes. The man was obviously not a shinobi, or at least not a very good one, for him to be twitching from Minato's glare.

"So let me get this straight. The Raikage is mad at _me_, because I destroyed the Nibi. After it was freed from its Jinchuuriki, attacked _my_ Village, and killed the people _I'm_ supposed to protect."

"Th-that's correct Hokage-sama. He believes that you sealed it, instead of destroying it."

Minato snorted, not showing any signs of the migraine that was pulsing behind his eyes. First the Nibi attack, then adopting Sasuke and Itachi, now an almost war with Kumo? Some days it didn't pay to be Hokage.

"There was no need for me to seal it, and I would never want to create another Jinchuuriki. Being married to one, I know the hardships they can go through."

Which was true...ish. He never wanted to create another Jinchuuriki…but he hadn't had a choice. He just wished that he could have played dumb about it being the Nibi attacking, but the diplomat had refused to believe him. Seeing as how the Bijuu had come from Kumo, all they had needed were the eyewitness accounts to know it was the Nibi. There hadn't been any point in denying it once the evidence had been presented.

At hearing that she was being spoken about, Kushina rose from the corner where she was playing with Sasuke. Hefting the giggling boy with one hand, and the other on her belly, she smiled gently as she stood next to Minato.

There was no denying his wife was a beautiful woman. Bright red hair, violet grey eyes, lush curves hiding steel muscles…it often hid her fiery temper and even sharper intelligence. She knew _exactly_ how people saw her, and she played it to the hilt. Also, she wasn't afraid to use it in a diplomatic way.

Minato didn't miss how the man's eyes softened slightly as he looked at the baby, and truly smiled for the first time as Minato took Sasuke, grinning himself when the kid grabbed his bangs – like he always did.

"Do you have children, Shichi-san?" Kushina asked, and the man nodded, smile widening.

"Hai. A daughter, almost a year. My wife is pregnant too, due in December."

"That's wonderful! Congratulations!"

Minato smirked, hiding it behind Sasuke. Kushina normally didn't want a part of negotiations, but for some reason, she had decided to join him with this one. He was glad for it, because watching them talk, he could see the Kumo diplomat relaxing. Until the subject of Sasuke came up. Minato decided to rejoin the conversation then.

"This is Sasuke, one of the survivors of the Nibi attack. We officially adopted him and his older brother a month or so ago."

Shichi's eyes saddened. "I am truly sorry for that. We do not know how it happened, or how the Nibi even got loose from Yugito's control. Some believe that she was kidnapped…I suppose you never found a body?" Minato shook his head and the man sighed knowingly.

Minato smirked dryly. "It's not as though Konoha doesn't have enemies, Shichi-san."

He laughed ruefully and nodded. "That is true Hokage-sama." Then he stood, and smiled at them. "I will be leaving then, and taking my report back to the Raikage. Hopefully we can work something out."

"I sincerely hope so Shichi-san. Oh!" Minato did a quick balancing of the laughing baby, and ignoring the sharp pain from his scalp, quickly penned a missive. With his official stamp he rolled it up, and handed it to the man. "This is saying that you are the one we want to speak to during negotiations. Others can be with you, but you need to be present at each meeting."

The man blushed, staring at the paper. "I…thank you, Hokage-sama. You give me a great honor."

He laughed, grinning at his wife. "Thank Kushina. She doesn't take to people that quickly. That, more than anything, tells me you have a good character."

Kushina scowled at him, her face a bright red, but she smiled at Shichi. "You seem like an honest man."

Now Shichi was blushing a shade that matched Kushina's hair. "T-thank you, Uzumaki-san, Hokage-sama. I will be off, and look forward to working with you."

They both shook his hand. "Likewise Shichi-san."

The door closed softly, and they waited for a few moments before looking at the other.

"I like him," Kushina said as she took Sasuke back, and sat on the edge of his desk. Minato hummed quietly and rested his palms on her calves.

"I did too, once he relaxed a bit. Do you think they'll believe it?"

His wife hesitated, looking down at Sasuke as he tried valiantly to stay awake. "I…don't think so. Even if they do, I could see them trying to start a war using either one as an excuse. Sealing or destroying…I don't think it would matter to them."

Minato sighed and rested his head on her belly, smiling as he heard the strong heartbeat. He relaxed even more as Kushina began to run a hand through his hair, and he scooted closer so he could wrap his arms around her.

"I don't think it would either. Sigh…"

Kushina giggled, and he grinned. "Did…you just _say_ sigh?"

He looked up at her with a cheesy grin. "Hai!"

She hit him lightly on his head, trying to control her laughter. "Baka!"

Standing, he nuzzled her cheek, than kissed her nose. "Aw, you love me anyway."

She kissed him proper, and was still giggling softly as they pulled apart. "Kami knows why sometimes."

He sighed in mock heartbreak and created two clones. Fixing them with a stern glare, he said, "Paperwork. And don't dispel until it's all done this time."

With a perky wave he grabbed his wife and adopted son, and used a normal shunshin to arrive at Ichiraku's. He gave her a kiss as he set her down in front of the small shop, and grinned. "This is why you love me. As much ramen as you can eat!"

She cocked an eyebrow, turning and gingerly taking a seat at the booth while Minato took Sasuke. "That is true. I also hope that you weren't just implying that I was fat."

He gaped. What the…? "I said no such thing!"

The twinkle in her eye made him sweat. "That's good. If you had, you would have been sleeping on the couch."

He stopped himself from audibly whimpering as she ordered, meekly getting his own. Sleeping on the couch meant no sex, and since Kushina's sex drive had gone sky high over the past month…

He buried his face in the ramen, face flaming as he tried desperately to _not_ think of that.

"You're being perverted again aren't you?"

He choked and looked over, giving his suspicious wife a cheeky, evil grin. "Whenever I'm around you love."

She gaped, obviously surprised that he actually admitted it, before the comment caught up with her. She flushed, but she could give as well as she got. "Like the time in the backyard? Or that one time on the Hokage monument…" She easily nabbed Sasuke as her husband passed out from blood loss, holding up her empty bowl with a wide grin.

"Another ramen Teuchi-san!"


	4. September 24th

**September 24th**

"This can't be fucking happening!"

Minato cursed out loud as he flew over the rooftops of Konoha, surrounded by a flock of ANBU. He had just received word from Jiraiya via a toad that the Nanabi had somehow escaped – or been _released_ – and was cutting a path straight through Hi no Kuni. It had already hit the capital and was heading directly for them.

Whoever was doing this was smart. He had no such delusions that someone had done this, even if he didn't know who. Yet.

The Nibi had been released inside the Village, but this one was either released at the border of Hi no Kuni, or in its Village and then sent their way. That told him that whoever was doing this was being cautious, and that annoyed him. Caution made it harder for him to learn who it was.

This couldn't have come at a worse time. Kushina was due to give birth in two weeks, and his presence had been demanded by the Raikage, or Kumo would go to war. A war that they couldn't afford, so he had no choice but to go, in person, to the neutral ground that he and the Raikage had agreed on.

He was swearing to himself, and didn't even notice the looks his ANBU were giving him, or the wide berth they kept around him. He was so _pissed!_

He snarled as a presence began to leap next to him, but took a deep breath and reined in his temper when he saw Shikaku Nara.

"Shikaku, what the hell are you doing here?" he growled. "You just had a kid! You and your wife should have evacuated with the rest!"

He did feel a little bit of amusement as Shikaku rolled his eyes, but he stopped when Shikaku held out a small bundle that Minato had missed. "Shikaku…"

"Minato, don't. It's the Nanabi, and you'll have no choice but to seal it. He'll be raised in a Clan, so my son will be fine."

"Shikaku, you don't know what your offering!" he said harshly, glaring at his longtime friend. "I don't want to make a Jinchuuriki! Their lives are hard, and no one-"

He stopped his tirade as a hard smack went across his face, the ANBU stepping even farther back as he touched his cheek, staring in disbelief at a glaring Shikaku. Their arguments were legendary among the shinobi of the Village, and it would only be worse if Inoichi and Chouza were present too.

"No Minato, _you_ don't understand. I know _exactly_ what I am getting into, and you are the one that seems to not understand! We are almost at war with Kumo, a war we cannot afford. I also know you were going to try and fight it, instead of making a Jinchuuriki." Minato's flinch was all Shikaku needed. "I thought as much. Shikamaru will be fine, Minato. Save your strength, and seal the damn thing before it reaches the Village and does the type of damage that the Nibi did!"

Minato paled as the baby was shoved into his arms, but before he could ask Shikaku how he knew about the Nibi, a roar echoed across the Village.

"Damn you Shikaku," he said bitterly, and left before the man could answer. On his way he summoned Gamabunta, a rough plan going through his head. It was a way to help on all areas, but…his heart clenched at what he would be forced to do.

"**Well if it isn't the Nanabi**," the boss toad said, and the fight began. They got lucky. The fight began right outside the walls of Konoha, so it was mostly trees that were being destroyed. Gamabunta wasn't stupid either. He grabbed the Nanabi and launched them even farther, away from the eyes of the Village. As his summon went to work, so did Minato, clearing his mind.

He absently noted that even through all this, Shikamaru slept peacefully. Minato pulled the blanket away, holding the baby carefully with one arm, stomach down. He swiftly slashed the palm of the arm that was holding Shikamaru, using his blood to paint the two three point seals, creating a strong six point that was more than enough to hold the Nanabi.

Finished, he gave it a quick, critical check over, knowing that Gamabunta was reaching the end of his stamina. Ignoring his throbbing hand he flew through hand seals, calling upon all his considerable chakra to use the trick his wife had shown him. Glowing blue chains flew from his free hand and wrapped around the Nanabi, holding it in place. Then he pressed his hand to the baby's back.

"SEAL!"

The Bijuu gave a horrific scream as it was drawn and sealed into Shikamaru, and the entire process took less than 30 seconds. However, nearly all his chakra was gone at this point.

And Shikamaru was _still _sleeping!

"**Minato, do you need me anymore?**" Gamabunta asked in a weary voice, and Minato winced. Eyes dark, he knelt on the pebbled head, and pressed a hand to the orange skin.

"Yes, my friend. I hate to ask you this, but I need you to henge into the Nanabi, and continue south. You have to make the performance…authentic."

"**Minato! Do you have any idea what-**"

"Yes! Damnit, yes…I know _exactly_ what I'm asking. Kumo _cannot_ know we have a Jinchuuriki, or it will be war for sure." He punched the top of the toads head, not knowing if his body was shaking from exhaustion of the knowledge of what was going to happen. "Someone did this Gamabunta. Someone set the Nibi on us, and now the Nanabi. They _have_ to think that we didn't seal it. Gamabunta…_please_…"

There was a loud sigh, and the toad transformed into the Bijuu. Minato jumped down, glad that they had ended up far enough away that only a few select ANBU were aware that this was a farce. He stumbled, clutching the _still_ sleeping Shikamaru to his chest. Gamabunta let out a roar and charged over Konoha, making tears come to Minato's eyes. He knew the toad wouldn't do that much damage to the Village, but he had been the one to ask to make it authentic…and that meant that lives and homes would have to be destroyed.

He knelt there until the last of the roaring faded, and blinked up with sick eyes as a hand landed on his shoulder. Shikaku stood there, and gently took Shikamaru from his arms. The seal was gone, absorbed into the boy, and would only show if he ever used his chakra.

"Minato…you did the right thing."

He laughed bitterly at that, but staggered to his feet. "Did I?"

He didn't expect an answer to that, and Shikaku didn't disappoint. His friend only grabbed him, and with a quick shunshin later, he was in the apartment he shared with Kushina.

He never noticed when Shikaku left, because as soon as he saw his wife hurrying towards him, her face holding sympathy and the knowledge of what and why he did what he did…he lost it.

Face buried in her shoulder and with her arms around him, Minato wept.

**X-x-X-x-X-x-X-x-X-x-X**

Madara tilted his head to the side slightly, watching in glee as the Nanabi approached over the horizon. He was in his favorite observation position: sitting on Hashirama's head. It amused him to know that he would watch Konoha burn from the top of his enemies stone face.

He was not surprised in the least when the large toad summon popped out of nowhere, stopping the Nanabi's approach before it actually entered Konoha. That had been something he had been expecting. What he hadn't expected was to see the summon grab the Bijuu and leap off, making them only two blurry spots in his vision.

Sighing, he stood and stretched, knowing that the two would be at it for awhile. He knew of Minato's loathing to make a Jinchuuriki, which was why he hadn't been surprised when he found no evidence of the Nibi being sealed. He _had_ been surprised to find that the man had officially adopted two members of his Clan: Uchiha Sasuke and Itachi.

He looked down at the ruined section of the Village where the Clan compound used to reside, and smirked. It would figure that Minato's bleeding heart couldn't let two of the three remaining Uchiha become orphans. In his opinion, living that sort of life would have been perfect for those two. Teach them strength, stubbornness, and give them a dark edge that maybe would have brought honor back to his Clan.

He was happy though. Learning that there were only three remaining Uchiha that were sound of body and mind had been the best present. It also meant that his plan to have the Nibi destroy the Clan had been a success. It didn't matter that there were people left with the Uchiha name; he planned on finishing that job with the Kyuubi.

He glanced back to the fight, and frowned. Neither large body was visible, and even with his vision he knew that was impossible. He started collecting his chakra to use his space-time jutsu, when the Nanabi reappeared. Smirking, he watched as it dashed towards Konoha, intent on destroying it…and only managed to gets a few spots before running off to the south.

Scowling he reached out to it, ready to give it orders again, and his chakra touched nothing. There was no connection there any longer, and he knew instantly what Minato had done. The damn Namikaze had broken his control over the Nanabi, and with the way it was moving, it was headed for freedom.

He swore, stomped his feet, and snarled towards the area he knew Minato was at. Stupid, _stupid_ man! He hated him with every fiber of his being, and respected him just as much. Minato never did what Madara expected him to. Instead of sealing the Nanabi and guaranteeing a war with Kumo, he probably exhausted his chakra in breaking Madara's genjutsu, and sent the Bijuu on its way to the thick rainforest that was to the south.

His cursing only increased at that thought. If Minato broke the genjutsu, then he now knew that the Nanabi had been controlled. Just as quickly he regained control of himself, and did teleport away. It didn't matter. His plans were set, and Minato had no choice but to be out of Konoha when Uzumaki was set to give birth. With Minato out of the way, gaining control of the Kyuubi and destroying Konoha would be easy.

With his emotions and thoughts back under his control, he set out for Ame to rest and prepare.

* * *

><p><strong>AN: The Nanabi is the seven tail, and a giant horned beetle**. **It looks pretty sweet to me, but I'm a bug person. And Shika's birthday is Sept. 22nd, so he would only be two days old.  
><strong>


	5. October 10th

**October 10th**

Madara licked his lips, anticipation thrilling through his veins as he watched from afar. Minato was gone from Konoha, and Hatake was with him, leaving only the old man to watch over Uzumaki's birth. He couldn't have asked for better timing.

And he hadn't even needed to do anything about Kumo. The crazy bastard Raikage had done that piece of work all on his own.

The very pregnant woman was escorted from Konoha in supposed secret, and from the rest of the population, it probably was. Then again, he wasn't your average civilian, let alone shinobi. Considering he had been waiting for this day for months now, he would have been livid if he missed his chance.

He followed silently as the group left Konoha, counting the ANBU that they had with them. A typical squad of six were fanned out around the woman, Sarutobi, and the midwife, which just happened to be the ex-Hokage's wife. They stopped several miles away from Konoha, and the three entered what looked like a large mud hut. It was situated at the base of a large tree, and he landed silently on the top. None of the ANBU even noticed he was there.

He waited for the first pained scream, and went into action. With a kunai glinting in his hand, he assassinated each of the ANBU that was stationed around the dome, only hesitating long enough at each one to lower them to the ground. He sneered as he finished the last one, glaring at the supposed ANBU. This was just another nail in the coffin of Konoha – if he had been the Hokage, they never would have gotten this soft.

With them gone, and his plan officially in action, the only thing he had to wait for was Uzumaki to give birth.

**X-x-X-x-X-x-X-x-X-x-X**

Sarutobi grimaced mentally as his hand nearly broke from the pressure of Kushina's grip.

"You're almost there Kushina-san! His head is crowning! Ok…push!"

Another scream ripped from her, and he took a cold washcloth and wiped her sweaty brow with it, murmuring encouraging words to her. She was panting and cursing Minato with every breath, her eyes glazed with the pain and chakra she was outputting to keep the Kyuubi contained. He couldn't even begin to express the respect that was growing by the moment for this woman. Not only were Jinchuuriki's pregnancies longer than average, which meant she was giving birth to an almost 11 pound child, but even _while_ giving birth, she was _still_ keeping the Bijuu contained.

He could see the spiral inside her seal beginning to open just a little bit as his wife told her to push one last time, and a blood curdling scream of defiance, stubbornness, and pure pain echoed through the small hut. A loud smack was heard, and the sudden, gratifying sound of a child screaming.

"Oh Kushina-san, he looks exactly like Minato!"

Sarutobi beamed at the woman as she panted and smiled, his wife quickly tying off the umbilical cord and cutting it. She brought Naruto around, and Kushina reached out, gently touching the still bloody cheek.

"Namikaze Naruto," she whispered, and then her steely grey eyes locked on him as his wife took Naruto to be cleaned. "Sarutobi, we need to reseal the Kyuubi."

"Hai Kushina. Let me-"

A scream echoed through the room, and both their heads whipped over. His heart clenched at seeing the masked man holding a screaming Naruto, and his wife on the floor at his feet. He didn't have to examine her to know that she was dead.

"Who are you and what do you want?" he demanded, anger and grief making the blood sizzle in his veins. The masked man tilted his head.

"Who I am is of no importance, and what I want is the Kyuubi."

"You're the one who's sent the Bijuu after us!" Kushina gasped, sitting up even though her face was ashy. Out of the corner of his eye, he saw her hand tighten around the special kunai that Minato had left in case of emergency, and the seals wrapped around the hilt glowed. Even with his Hiraishin it would take Minato a bit to get there. He needed to stall.

However, that idea went out the window when a kunai was brandished against Naruto's throat, and he needed to act _now._

Using a bastardized version of Minato's Hiraishin, he appeared in front of the man and grabbed the newborn, before using a regular shunshin to appear in the Hokage office. He set down the baby in a special crib that his wife had given to the couple, and caressed the wood. It had seen the birth of all three of their children. Tears pricked his eyes before he steeled his emotions.

If he survived, he would have time to grieve.

A demonic roar echoed over the Village, and he looked out the window just as the Kyuubi's chakra surged. Acidic, potent, seething killer intent slammed over the rooftops, and he no longer had the luxury of even _thinking_ about grief.

**X-x-X-x-X-x-X-x-X-x-X**

Kushina glared at the man as Sarutobi left with her son, knowing what was going to happen now. She was too weakened to do anything to stop him, and that knowledge irked her…badly.

"Who are you?" she demanded quietly as he approached. He stopped at her side, and his head tilted to the side once again. He said nothing as he grabbed her, and she nearly puked on him as her world twisted, somewhat like Minato's Hiraishin. When she could finally see straight again, she was kneeling on a single rock pillar surrounded on all sides by a pond and more pillar's. Each one was inscribed with its own seal. She looked around, and her eyes widened. She knew these seal's…but she could still do nothing as chains encircled her, painfully dragging her arms wide.

Despite how much agony she was in, she glared hatefully at the man. She knew what was going to happen, and knew that she couldn't survive it. She couldn't even hope to _prevent_ it.

"Who are you damnit?" she screamed, and the man chuckled as he approached her over the water.

"I suppose it doesn't hurt to tell you, since you'll die anyway. Uchiha Madara, at your service," he said happily, and she gaped as he made a gallant bow.

"That's…not possible! You're dead!"

"I assure you," he said coldly, "I am far from dead Uzumaki. Unlike you, who is barely managing to keep the Kyuubi contained."

She scowled, but before she could respond the seals surrounding her activated, and absolute agony slammed in her. She couldn't scream, couldn't even see from the force of it. However, she could feel the spiral on her stomach opening, and could do nothing about it.

Somehow, she managed to push past the pain to gain a bit of herself back, and was able to take mental notes of what happened as the Kyuubi was pulled from her. It was a worse feeling then when the damn thing had been put into her in the first place!

She didn't miss how the demonic red eyes swirled into the Sharingan before it disappeared back into its normal crimson. She didn't miss how the man – _Uchiha fucking Madara!_ – gave it orders, telling her that he was controlling the Bijuu. She also didn't miss the yellow blur that appeared at the edge of the clearing, or the kunai that streaked towards Madara.

The man cursed and used an odd jutsu, like Minato's Hiraishin to avoid it, but that was all Minato needed to grab her and break the chains. The damage was done though. The Kyuubi was fully manifested, and streaking towards Konoha.

"Kushina, where's Naruto?" he asked as he gathered her close, and tears pricked her eyes.

"I…I don't know. Sarutobi grabbed him and took him-"

"He's in the Hokage office," said man responded, appearing before them in full battle gear. He was glaring at Madara, who was watching the entire proceedings with a nonchalant air. "Take Kushina there Minato. I'll handle him."

Her world twisted again, and then they were inside the office. He set her in the chair, and she watched as he rushed over to the crib Sarutobi and his wife had given them. He lifted out a blanket wrapped bundle, and brought him over. He was smiling, but his eyes were dark as he handed her their son.

"He's beautiful Kushina. Thank you so much…"

She had to swallow tears at the words. They sounded like a goodbye, and she held their son to her breast, happy that he was sleeping. "Minato, don't. I…" She took a deep breath. She was still a shinobi damnit. "That man is Uchiha Madara, and he is controlling the Kyuubi with his Sharingan. I know it sounds impossible, but I believed him when he told me. He is the only one that could control that beast, and I saw it with my own eyes."

"Uchiha Madara…" he whispered, and his eyes hardened. He leaned down and kissed her gently, lingeringly, and she clutched the front of his jacket as the kiss turned desperate. This was probably the last time they would see each other, and they knew it. He finally drew back, and she didn't bother to hide the tears that were coursing down her cheeks. "I will destroy him first, and then deal with Kyuubi. I love you, Kushina."

He kissed her again swiftly before disappearing, and she stared at the emptiness. "I love you too, Minato."

For nearly five minutes she sat there and stared at their son, feeling her life slowly slipping away from her, a puddle of blood forming below her. If she had been able to be healed like planned, maybe even if Minato had been there from the beginning…

She looked up as someone entered the office, and Sarutobi appeared, looking worse for wear. His eyes were steely though.

"Kushina, I need your help…"

**X-x-X-x-X-x-X-x-X-x-X**

Minato appeared next to a panting Sarutobi, steadfastly refusing to let his emotions surface.

"Ah Minato! So glad you could join us! You're just in time for the finale!"

Minato snarled, eyes dark. "Uchiha Madara. I would be lying if I said I wasn't surprised to find you still alive."

The man, Madara, giggled, flapping his hand like a school girl. "Oh you flatter me! That was the entire point, of course. Not that it matters that Uzumaki told you who I was. She'll be dead soon, and you will be too."

Minato, who knew that both statements were true, said nothing. Instead, he turned to Sarutobi.

"I need you to go back to the Village. Kakashi should be there too, and I need the two of you to keep it away from Konoha for as long as possible." His dead eyes never left Madara. "I'll be there soon."

"Minato, what were you going to seal it with?"

Minato hesitated, then, "The Shinigami."

Sarutobi just nodded and left. Minato went through a series of one handed seals, using Hiraishin to appear in Madara's face. He obviously wasn't expecting it from the way he leaned back, but he wasn't quite fast enough. Minato's palm connected with his chest a moment before Madara used his own space-time jutsu, just long enough for the Contract Seal to break the control Madara had over the Kyuubi.

They both danced away as the beast let out a loud roar, and Minato laughed with dark humor as Madara began to curse.

"Don't like having your pets turned against you, Madara?"

"It doesn't matter," the man hissed, "since the Kyuubi will destroy Konoha anyway. You can't stop it."

Never before had Minato utilized his Hiraishin as he did during that short, physical battle. He was barely able to keep away from Madara, but the moment he saw his chance, he took it. He had realized that Madara's jutsu allowed him to be nearly impervious to any sort of harm, except when he made an attack and came in physical contact with his opponent. It was during one of those times that Minato took a kunai to his shoulder on purpose, his other hand forming a Rasengan instantly. He shoved it into Madara's chest, smiling grimly at the surprise in the one visible Sharingan eye, before the man was thrown backwards and slammed hard into a tree.

Minato didn't try to go for a second attack, knowing that he wouldn't be able to catch the man like that again.

"Damn you Minato," Madara hissed as he staggered to his feet, a hand pressed tightly to his bleeding stomach. "Pray that you do die tonight, because if you don't, you'll never have an ounce of peace for the rest of your life!"

Then he was gone.

Minato allowed himself just a brief moment to close his eyes and take a deep breath, preparing his mind for what he was about to do. He was the only one strong enough to seal the Kyuubi except maybe Kakashi, but his student didn't know the right seals.

Opening his eyes, he turned, and was stunned speechless. He could see the Kyuubi, and black chains were encircling its massive bulk. _Kushina…NO!_

Before he used Hiraishin to go to where his wife was, for the briefest moment, he saw the huge, monstrous figure of the Shinigami, and knew he was too late.

He arrived on the top of the Hokage monument, noticing absently through his despair that his shinobi had been able to maneuver it so it was standing over the training yards. His feet were rooted to the spot as he took in what was going on, knowing that there was nothing he could do, and it would mean the death of everyone if he tried to interfere.

Naruto was bawling and screaming in the middle of a seal, and both Sarutobi and Kushina were kneeling at the edge, the former Hokage sheltering Kushina. A single claw was through them both, their lives dripping onto the black design.

"Kushina," he whispered brokenly, and she glanced up. Her face was pale, eyes determined and fierce, and potent feelings of love and grief went through him. This was the woman he had fallen in love with; the one who would do anything, even sacrifice herself, to protect those she cared about.

"I…gave Naruto my…knowledge of seals…hope…that's ok…" she gasped with a smile, and he quickly knelt by her side. He didn't – _couldn't_ – touch her, or he would be drawn into the jutsu. It would take his life, just like it was taking Kushina and Sarutobi.

"Live…for us…Minato…" Sarutobi gasped, and he helplessly nodded. Tears were coursing down his face, and he didn't care.

"Time…to finish…this…"

He had to anchor his body to the stone as wild chakra began to shift and swirl, making the Kyuubi howl in rage and hate. He had to watch, unable to do anything, as Sarutobi used his life force to grab the Kyuubi and seal it within his son. The seal blossomed along with Naruto's screaming, the smell of scorched flesh filling the air as the seal spread across his stomach, angry and red. With a final howl from the Kyuubi and the slash from the Shinigami, the seal flared and turned black.

Kushina fell into his arms as Sarutobi fell backwards, both of them gone. He only gave himself a moment to caress her pale face, still smiling even in death, while in the background Naruto continued to scream.

"I…love you, Uzumaki Kushina. Thank you…for choosing to be my wife. I'll…" His throat closed as he tried to say 'I'll never forget you', and between choking sobs he placed a gentle kiss on her forehead, lying her down on the earth. He reached over and gently closed hers, and Sarutobi's eyes, before staggering to his feet.

Barely being able to see through his grief and pain, he swiftly picked Naruto up, glad that his child stopped screaming. Naruto was still whimpering though, the innocent blue eyes wide with pain, confusion, and Minato swore he saw sorrow there.

As the Village burned below him, his wife dead behind him, he could no longer contain it. He dropped to his knees and held Naruto close to him, rough, hiccupping sobs tearing through his body. He let it, knowing that he needed to do this now, while he was alone, if he was going to be any help for his people.

Slowly but surely he gained control of himself once again, and stood on shaky knees. With a deep breath and ash scented wind drying the tears on his face, he looked over the Village with steely, dark eyes.

First things first – he needed to organize his shinobi, get reports on damage and supplies, and how many were wounded and killed. Jiraiya needed to come back, and he also needed to get Orochimaru out of his self-induced hermitry. His eyes narrowed. By whatever means necessary. He would look over the man's many faults – for the moment – if he assisted his Village.

Then…he smiled viciously. Then he could begin his plans for Madara.

The eldest Uchiha wouldn't know what hit him.

* * *

><p><strong>AN: Yea, so this is the end. Well, the end for this part section. My other stories do take precedence, but I have a feeling it won't be to much longer before I'm done with the next set. *sigh* Oh, and I have to squee about how much fun it was to write Madara. That man is a mad genius, and holy hell, was he fun. **

**And grrrrrrr...Princess and I, we tried for soooo long to figure out a way to keep Kushina alive, but we just couldn't find a way and have it fit. So I apologize, because I really didn't want her to die, but she needed to. And...that's that. Toodles!  
><strong>


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